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The American Revolution

But King George refused to receive the Olive Branch Petition. In August, he issued a proclamation calling the Patriots traitors engaged in an open rebellion. The proclamation said that all of the king’s loyal subjects were obligated to help suppress the rebellion. King George addressed Parliament on October 26, 1775. He said more British troops and warships would be sent to America. Also, he revealed that certain foreign governments had offered their assistance. In fact, Great Britain was going to hire thousands of professional soldiers from several German states. Americans referred to these German soldiers as

Hessians . With the additional forces, the king anticipated a speedy end to the disorder in America. The Siege of Boston Meanwhile, the situation around Boston had settled into a stalemate. There was no fighting. With no way to attack the redcoats, the Continen- tal Army simply kept them cut off in the city. The redcoats dared not risk marching out to try to break the siege. Some fighting occurred elsewhere in the colonies, though. Patriot and Loyalist militias battled each other in various places in the South. Two American forces launched an inva- sion of Canada. One of themcaptured Montreal. But onDecember 31, 1775, the combined American forces suf- fered a major defeat at Quebec City.

King George III believed it was appropriate for the colonies to pay part of the cost of defending them through taxes. He supported the govern- ment ministers who tried to implement plans to tax the colonies. When the Americans defied his orders, the king ordered additional British troops to America in order to re-assert royal control over the colonies.